Van Avermaet is always a threat in the hilly stages of the south and second week, while Naesen makes for a talented Flemish combo.
Silvan Dillier will stand out in the team due to his red Swiss national champion’s jersey but beyond Van der Poel, Merlier is the rider to watch.
Fuglsang finished third overall at the Tour de Suisse and perhaps starts the Tour with even better form.
24-year-old Stefan de Bod is perhaps a surprise selection but he was fifth in the best young rider competition at the Tour de Suisse and a name to remember.
Full line-up: Pierre Rolland, Bryan Coquard, Quentin Pacher.
In the absence of Mikel Landa, after his nasty crash at the Giro d’Italia, Haig and Poels get the leadership they have craved for most of their careers.
In recent seasons Bora-Hansgrohe have transformed their identity as a Tour de France team purely built around the ambitions of Peter Sagan.
Sagan has Daniel Oss to drop him off in the sprints and ride in the mountain grupetto, while Emanuel Buchmann can help Kelderman as he recovers from his Giro d’Italia crash and finds his best form.
There are signs that Sagan’s reign as the omnipresent green jersey favourite may be fading but he proved at the Giro d’Italia that he is not done yet.
Martin was not happy with his ride and 20th place overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné but is capable of finishing in the top 10 at the Tour if he can stay healthy and consistent.
Cofidis have always bet on riders outside of France and Belgium and Jesús Herrada is their Spanish stalwart, having been in Cofidis red and white since 2018.
Parachuted into the team after a knee injury prevented Sam Bennett from defending his green jersey, Cavendish has an opportunity to add to his 30 Tour de France stage victories.
He finished eighth in last year’s Tour despite coming back from a serious crash at the 2019 Vuelta, where he broke his left collarbone, shoulder blade, ribs, two vertebrae and suffered lung damage.
Stefan Bissegger was second in the opening time trial at the Tour de Suisse behind compatriot Stefan Küng but then won the hilly stage to Gstaad, confirming his talents and aggression.
In the past, the absence and physical woes of Thibaut Pinot would have left Groupama-FDJ rudderless and team manager Marc Madiot miserable.
Now 24 and wise beyond his years, Gaudu’s two mountain victories at last year’s Vuelta a España convinced him he can compete at the Tour de France.
Küng will be a favourite for the time trials and then help with Démare’s lead-out train.
Much of the pre-race coverage of Israel Start-Up Nation centred on whether four-time champion Chris Froome would be selected for the Tour de France.
Froome’s intended return to Tour winning form after his career-threatening crash two years ago has not yet materialised, and so in truth, he is being deployed as a highly-paid domestique.
His racing pedigree is now sound, having achieved both these objectives at the Vuelta a España in recent years, though not during the same edition of the race.
Israel Start-Up Nation’s other options and their hopes lie in Dan Martin for mountain stage wins and with André Greipel in the sprints.
Their team is calibrated around Roglič’s tilt at overall victory, with Sepp Kuss, Steven Kruijswijk, Jonas Vingegaard and Robert Gesink providing support in the mountains.
This year’s route is especially generous to sprinters, offering perhaps seven opportunities for a sprint finish, giving Ewan ample opportunity to win at least one more Tour stage.
Although the Lotto Soudal team is predominantly built around Ewan, via Roger Kluge, Jasper De Buyst and Australia’s Harry Sweeny, it is not entirely dependent upon him for success.
The Colombian placed sixth overall on his Tour debut last September, winning atop the Col de la Loze but his poor time trial skills saw him drop off the podium in the final time trial to La Planche des Belles Filles.
The former British champion was praised for the way he guided Quintana through the treacherous flat stages last year and showcased his form with victory at the recent Tro Bro Léon.
He was fourth in the 2017 Tour de L’Avenir and fourth in this year’s Paris-Nice so the stage racing ability is there to be nurtured and developed.
In the sprints, Cees Bol will be aiming to improve upon his four top-10 finishes in last year’s race, offering another option for taking a stage win.
Pierre Latour was signed as team leader for 2021 and seemed to be finding form at the Tour de Suisse.
Trek-Segafredo endured three second places and three third places across the 21 stages of the 2020 Tour de France but got to celebrate Richie Porte’s podium spot in Paris.
In the intervening nine months, UAE Team Emirates have strengthened their roster considerably for this year’s defence of the yellow jersey.
Hirschi will return to the scene of his breakthrough race, albeit with very different objectives to his breakaway exploits of last year.
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